Christopher Nkunku is set to join Milan on a permanent move from Chelsea, but the French forward’s purchase signals a confusing striker search at San Siro, which will give Massimiliano Allegri even more work to do.
Chelsea striker Nkunku underwent medical tests with Milan on Friday and is set to join the Rossoneri on a permanent transfer that may exceed €40m if all the bonuses are met.
Milan’s long search for a new striker
The Rossoneri had previously chased Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund and even reached agreements for Victor Boniface and Conrad Harder, but both deals fell apart.
Boniface failed his medical tests due to previous knee problems, while Sporting CP waited for too long to release Harder, so Milan pounced on Nkunku instead.
When we mention Boniface, Hojlund, Harder, and Nkunku, we are referring to strikers with very different skill sets. Yet, Milan’s recent transfer activity has resembled a Black Friday scramble, where the priority seems less about finding the right fit and more about simply filling the cart.
It is no secret that Milan coach Allegri was eager to welcome a classic centre-forward, as he’s never been entirely convinced by Santiago Gimenez. Hojlund, Boniface and Harder would match Allegri’s needs, although in different ways, while Nkunku surely isn’t the physically structured centre-forward Allegri hoped for.
Not surprisingly, Allegri played down rumours linking Milan with a move for Vlahovic, but the Italian coach strongly wanted to reunite with the Juventus star this summer.
“I never asked for Dusan Vlahovic. He is a Juventus player,” Allegri said on Friday.
“I spoke with the club about the characteristics of the players (we need) and the things that can be done. If players with different characteristics arrive, we will make it work.”
Obviously, Allegri is aware that if Nkunku is the only summer signing in attack, then he’ll have extra work to do up front.
Milan’s confusing transfer strategy
Rafael Leao was deployed as a centre-forward during the pre-season, delivering positive performances and scoring beautiful goals, but the Portuguese is currently injured and will only return to action after the international break. Quite predictably, Leao will be given the same role once he returns to action and if Milan don’t sign a classic centre-forward, like Artem Dovbyk or Vlahovic, in the final days of the summer transfer window.
The whole Milan transfer strategy has been widely debated, not just when it came to strikers.
Samuele Ricci, Luka Modric and Ardon Jashari were signed in central midfield, but based on Allegri’s decisions in the first official games of the season, the Italian tactician sees them all as deep-lying playmakers, given that Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Youssouf Fofana were deployed as box-to-box midfielders in the first Serie A game of the campaign against Cremonese.
From the outside, Milan’s summer transfer window has been a constant tug-of-war between the club’s financial strategy on one side and Allegri’s technical demands, backed by Igli Tare, on the other.
You’ll never hear Allegri speak badly about the club’s transfer business, but it’s undeniable that his voice hasn’t carried enough weight this summer, particularly by the top decision-makers at Milanello.
Now, the coach has all the work to do, building a team that is strong enough for the top four, despite lacking the characteristics he was looking for, especially in attack.
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